One day I might write a book about wine fraud. It is almost as fascinating a subject as wine itself, and it has been going on for a very long time indeed.

In the first century AD the Roman satirist Petronius described a banquet given by a man called Trimalchio. The occasion was lavish, for Trimalchio was very rich. But being a former slave, he was also rather ignorant. At the climax of the evening Trimalchio proudly served his guests a wine labelled “Falernian Opimian, One Hundred Years Old.” Falernum, in what is now southern Lazio, produced the greatest wine of ancient Italy. The Falernian made during the consulship of Opimius was prized highest of all. But there was a small snag. Read the rest of this entry »